Who's up for a musical blast from the past?! For this list, we’ll be ranking the best one-hit wonders from the 1980s that may have slipped your mind.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 80s One-Hit Wonders You Forgot Were Awesome.
00:11For this list, we're ranking the best One-Hit Wonders from the 1980s that may have slipped your mind.
00:20Although some of these artists might be known for other songs, the tracks included here have largely been career-defining.
00:26Who's your favorite One-Hit Wonder from the 80s? Let us know in the comments.
00:30Number 20, Animotion, Obsession.
00:32Animotion was a unique group.
00:35Their ultra-80s-sounding synth-pop was tailor-made for the decade, and it's true that some of their other singles did chart on the Billboard Top 100.
00:48However, it's largely argued that Obsession is Animotion's number one calling card.
00:53The song straddles a line between a clubby dance sound and colder, more experimental synth sounds found during this early part of the decade.
01:05It's this artificiality that works in Animotion's favor, however, since the song is actually a cover.
01:11The slightly more rock feeling of the Holly Knight and Michael Day bar original is replaced by Animotion's detached and computerized approach.
01:18It's weird, it's wonderful, and it works.
01:24Number 19, Matthew Wilder, Break My Stride.
01:28You may only know Matthew Wilder from his smash hit Break My Stride, but that's only part of the man's story.
01:39This New York native has actually been responsible for producing hits for a ton of projects and artists too,
01:45including no doubt Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson, as well as the Disney film Mulan, for which Wilder co-composed the music.
01:53Break My Stride, a quirky tune taken from Wilder's 1983 debut album,
01:58is a reggae-influenced pop tune with a vocal inflection from the singer that undeniably sells the tune's charisma.
02:08This is breezy, feel-good music that's upbeat and impossible to resist.
02:13It's hard to believe this is Wilder's only solo brush with mainstream chart success.
02:23Number 18, Kajagoogoo, Too Shy.
02:26Too Shy was a monster hit for the British new wave group Kajagoogoo back in 1983.
02:35The band did manage to follow up with other success in the UK,
02:38but for many fans across the pond, it's Too Shy that cements the group in a collective time capsule memory.
02:44This could be thanks to the band's arresting appearance that made frontman Limahl and crew easy on the eyes.
02:54However, the song itself also boasts an immensely memorable chorus, as well as subtly catchy slap bass work from Nick Beggs.
03:02Limahl would find chart success as a solo artist with the theme from The NeverEnding Story,
03:06but unfortunately, Kajagoogoo would never reach the chart heights of Too Shy ever again.
03:20There seems to be a laundry list of actors who've tried their hands at the pop music game.
03:24Some of them have had more success than others.
03:28Murray Head's thespian career took a detour into the music business,
03:31thanks to his performance on the rock opera soundtrack for 1973's Jesus Christ Superstar.
03:37However, his solo career is likely better known for yet another Broadway hit, One Night in Bangkok.
03:48From the musical Chess, this is a track that certainly feels like a show tune.
03:52Head, for his part, talks through the tune more than he sings, but his cadence is nothing short of catchy.
03:58Meanwhile, the chorus is an earworm of the highest order,
04:02accompanied by some of the most 80's sounding synthesizers this side of a radio shack.
04:08It's not unusual for a pop act to strike gold more than once in their native land.
04:17Geno served as a second number one hit for Dexys Midnight Runners in the UK,
04:21but it's Come On Eileen that remains the group's calling card in other parts of the world.
04:26This is due, of course, to the fact that Geno was the first male lead in a pop act.
04:31The visual of the group clad in matching overalls would go on to become closely associated with their conceptual legacy.
04:38Meanwhile, the song's folk-influenced melodies and dramatic build during the finale
04:43make Come On Eileen feel so vibrant even today.
04:47It's not uncommon for a pop act to have a strong presence in the UK,
04:51but it's Come On Eileen that remains the group's calling card in other parts of the world.
04:56The visual of the group clad in matching overalls would go on to become closely associated with their conceptual legacy.
05:01We challenge anyone not to kick up their heels and break out dancing to this one.
05:14The glam metal explosion that would occur in a post-Bon Jovi and Quiet Riot world
05:18was still a hairspray can or two away when Aldo Nova released Fantasy in 1982.
05:27As a result, it doesn't feel unfair to give this Canadian axeman at least a little credit for being ahead of the curve.
05:34Fantasy is a hard rocker through and through, anchored by a sturdy main riff and some catchy keyboard accompaniment.
05:45Meanwhile, the video is all-pomp and ridiculously laser-obsessed.
05:51Nova's skills as a guitarist, however, are no joke.
05:55Nova's leads on Fantasy ensure that rock fans still remember this solo hit from back in the day,
06:00no matter how far away it gets.
06:11Because of their change-up in genre and style, The Church are a bit of a special case.
06:17A respected Australian rock act with a worldwide following, this is a band with numerous charted songs.
06:23With that said, Under the Milky Way from their fifth studio album was released at a time
06:28when fans had already latched on to the group's gothic and moody dream-pop sound.
06:37The song proved to have mainstream commercial legs all the same, earning The Church a top 40 US hit.
06:44It's easy to see why too, as Under the Milky Way rolls over the listener with a smooth stargazing melody
06:51and a soft enveloping atmosphere.
07:01Okay, so obviously Eddie Murphy isn't a one-hit wonder in any other famed aspect of his life.
07:06However, is there any song from Murphy's musical career that's as well-known as this jam from 1985?
07:13Girl, I can't understand it, why you wanna hurt me?
07:19Party All the Time is the sort of vanity project that one can only get off the ground
07:23when they achieve this level of fame.
07:25Hot on the heels of Beverly Hills Cop and his comedy special Delirious,
07:29Murphy was in the perfect position to release Party All the Time.
07:32Girl, I've seen you in clubs, just hanging out and dancing.
07:38Still, the song is better than it has any right to be,
07:41thanks largely to the production duties of Rick James.
07:44The grandiose orchestrations hide Murphy's limitations as a singer
07:48and help lift Party All the Time to cult classic status.
08:02Chalk this next hit up as another song from an actor who had no right being this freaking good.
08:12Patrick Swayze proved that he was a treasure trove of creative riches
08:16when he released this soundtrack cut from Dirty Dancing.
08:19The actor actually co-wrote the song too, intending it for release alongside a different 80s film.
08:24Today, however, She's Like the Wind is nearly impossible to separate from Dirty Dancing.
08:29And why would you?
08:31The image of Swayze's earnest emotional vocals,
08:34that saxophone, the booming 80s production,
08:37it's just fantastic all around.
08:39Plus, Wendy Fraser assists Swayze near the end with her own great vocals.
08:43We can't help but miss Patrick Swayze just a little bit more
08:47every time we hear this beautiful ballad.
09:01Number 11, Robert Tepper, No Easy Way Out.
09:04Has there ever been a soundtrack cut better suited for a kick-ass emotional montage?
09:09Well, maybe, but Robert Tepper does his best with this contribution to the 1985 Rocky IV soundtrack
09:15and succeeds in a huge way.
09:24No Easy Way Out is an absolute banger.
09:26A surging pop-rock tune that's anchored by persistent synth stabs,
09:30urgent bass playing and Tepper's own dramatic delivery.
09:33Seriously, the man goes for broke right from the jump,
09:36issuing subtlety for raw emotion and pure honesty.
09:45Just check out Tepper's solo dance moves for the accompanying video and try not to be inspired.
09:50This is pure, unadulterated 80s awesomeness,
09:54undiluted to a perfect excessive essence.
10:02Number 10, Don Johnson, Heartbeat.
10:05It isn't uncommon at all for actors to try their hands at creating music.
10:09While Don Johnson was co-leading the show Miami Vice,
10:12he released his debut single, Heartbeat.
10:14I'm an animal
10:16Gonna go alone now
10:18Cause that's the way it's got to be
10:21The song's expensive music video features slick visuals
10:25that mimic the style and substance excess of Johnson's hit show.
10:29And it helps that the chorus of Heartbeat is instantly memorable and sounds epic.
10:33Heartbeat
10:36I'm looking for a heartbeat
10:40Although the production is super processed and ultra 80s,
10:43that isn't a bad thing for the song.
10:45Johnson's performative emoting and the video's dramatic narrative
10:49showed he was dedicated to making music.
10:51Unfortunately, Johnson's follow-up song, Heartache Away,
10:55didn't achieve the same level of success.
10:57Heartbeat
11:00I'm looking for a heartbeat
11:04Heartbeat
11:06Number 9, Taco, Puttin' on the Ritz.
11:09Although one-hit wonders don't have to be cheeky or weird,
11:12they can really stand out when they are.
11:14Puttin' on the Ritz
11:21This was definitely the case with Taco's cover of the Irving Berlin song, Puttin' on the Ritz.
11:26It became his only top 5 hit in the US back in 1982,
11:30shot to the top of charts in Germany,
11:32and even reached the number 1 slot in Finland.
11:35Puttin' on the Ritz
11:40Puttin' on the Ritz is quirky and absolutely soaked in processed 80s synthesizers.
11:44While Taco puts in a performance that may not be traditionally good,
11:48it is definitely memorable.
11:50But it's still a one-off song that feels as distinctly 80s as hairspray and shoulder pads.
11:56Puttin' on the Ritz
12:01Number 8, Stacy Q, Two of Hearts.
12:04Stacy Q is a California-born singer who's been able to find success in the worlds of movies and music.
12:10Stacy Q
12:17Her synth-pop band, SSQ, earned cult status with the material penned for classic horror film,
12:22The Return of the Living Dead.
12:24But the biggest hit of Stacy's solo career had to be 1986's Two of Hearts.
12:29Two of Hearts
12:34The song is infectious right from the jump.
12:38It boasts an energetic backbeat, electric synth, and Stacy's warm and appealing vocals.
12:44The singer proved that she could come across as both sinister and sweet.
12:48Two of Hearts
12:55None of her other tracks quite captured the magic of Two of Hearts.
12:59However, it will always serve as the perfect b-side for Stacy Q's darker work in the horror realm.
13:06Two of Hearts
13:13Number 7, Shannon, Let the Music Play.
13:16R&B singer Shannon may have earned a couple of number one hits on the U.S. dance charts over the course of her career,
13:21but Let the Music Play remains her biggest achievement on the Billboard Hot 100.
13:26Let the Music Play
13:31It's easy to see why. This smooth jam benefits greatly from Shannon's personable and melodic vocals.
13:37She manages to create a great chorus with the song,
13:40while the instrumentation also does exactly what it's supposed to do, get bodies on the floor.
13:46Let the Music Play
13:50Let the Music Play is a great throwback to an R&B era that's old school but never dated.
13:55In fact, consider this one timeless.
13:58Let the Music Play
14:05Number 6, Tommy Two-Tone, 8-6-7-5-3-0-9, Jenny.
14:10Throughout the 1970s and 80s, the power pop subgenre was absolutely everywhere thanks to trailblazers like Cheap Trick and Blondie.
14:17Let the Music Play
14:24The group, known as Tommy Two-Tone, took full advantage of the trend to achieve modest chart success with Angels Say No.
14:31However, the song with which the band will always be associated is 8-6-7-5-3-0-9, Jenny.
14:38Let the Music Play
14:45The track absolutely rocks thanks to a killer opening guitar melody, awesome guitar solo, and instantly memorable lyrics.
14:52Let the Music Play
14:59It's basically songwriting 101 for anyone searching to write a hit pop tune.
15:04The only people that were unhappy with this Tommy Two-Tone classic are people who actually had this phone number.
15:09Let the Music Play
15:16Number 5, Quarter Flash, Harden My Heart.
15:19Some songs just have a timeless quality to them due to a mixture of nostalgia and vitality that keeps them in the public consciousness.
15:26Let the Music Play
15:33Harden My Heart is definitely one of those tracks.
15:36This awesomely moody and memorable hit song comes from the organ-based group Quarter Flash.
15:41Let the Music Play
15:48Rindy Ross is front and center of the song's success.
15:51Her plaintive, melancholic vocals and excellent saxophone playing work perfectly with the emotive guitar and insistent bass-driven groove.
15:59Let the Music Play
16:06Near the song's finale, the tune becomes so urgent and powerful that we just cannot get enough.
16:12Harden My Heart was unquestionably this band's biggest smash.
16:15It's a shame more people don't remember Quarter Flash's impressive effort.
16:19Let the Music Play
16:26Number 4, Baltimore, Tarzan Boy.
16:29If you're looking for a truly unique musical rabbit hole to explore, may we suggest the wild world of Otello Disco?
16:36Let the Music Play
16:43This synth-obsessed sub-genre provided countless single hits and strange music videos for fans to uncover.
16:49One of the most popular one-hit wonder tracks came courtesy of Baltimore with their hit Tarzan Boy.
16:54Let the Music Play
17:01The music video is a fever dream of hazy visuals and excessive makeup.
17:06But don't let those elements distract you from the fun vocals and strong composition of the song.
17:10Oh, and did we mention there's a version of Tarzan's yell within the track?
17:14Let the Music Play
17:21There's an oomph to the arrangements that mixes just the right amount of repetition with melodies that burrow their way into your brain and just live there rent-free forever.
17:31Let the Music Play
17:37Number 3, Alana Miles, Black Velvet.
17:41Since this song was released in 1989, it may sound a little bit less, well, capital E 80s.
17:48But that's not a bad thing.
17:49Let the Music Play
17:54Black Velvet from Alana Miles is the sort of slinky and sensual blues number that wouldn't sound out of place on a movie soundtrack.
18:01While Miles enjoyed success in her home country of Canada, Black Velvet serves as her singular calling card elsewhere in the world.
18:08Let the Music Play
18:13This isn't taking away anything from Miles as a performer or Black Velvet as a song.
18:18It stands out from the late period hair metal and pop that was dominating the charts back in 89.
18:23Let the Music Play
18:30Number 2, Martika, Toy Soldiers.
18:331989 was a good year for pop music.
18:36Part of the reason why comes down to Martika's Toy Soldiers.
18:39Let the Music Play
18:44In 1989, she released this fragile and melancholic melody to the masses.
18:49Despite its darker tone, it was a number one hit in America that year.
18:52Let the Music Play
18:59There's a strength and sadness to the tune.
19:02The guitar melodies are impeccably produced, the drums are soaked in reverb,
19:07and Martika's vocals tug at the heartstrings in the best possible way.
19:11Let the Music Play
19:18We are not ashamed to say that Toy Soldier still makes us shed a tear to this day.
19:23Then again, that's the power of music, right?
19:26Even if you call Martika a one-hit wonder, you cannot deny that she created a classic with this tune.
19:32Let the Music Play
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19:54Number 1, Cutting Crew, I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight
19:59Admittedly, Cutting Crew hit the top 10 with both I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight
20:03and their follow-up, I've Been In Love Before.
20:06However, the former song has endured far more than the latter as the band's most famous song.
20:11And with good reason, too.
20:19I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight is a dramatic new wave hit that feels larger than life.
20:24The guitars are punchy, the synthesizers are perfect, and the lyrics are iconic.
20:36Frontman Nick Van Eade radiates both power and sensitivity as the brooding crooner at the lead of the track.
20:42We can't stop replaying this song on repeat and singing it at karaoke every chance we get.
20:48Our love for Cutting Crew's biggest hit will never die.
20:59Do you agree with our picks?
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